The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) commits to the Congress that the operations of Channel 43 and TV Plus will stop before June 29 (Monday) ends.

On Monday, during the House hearing on the franchise renewal of the Kapamilya network, NTC commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba said that the giant network on TV used the franchise of AMCARA Broadcasting Network for the operations of Channel 43, as of the report from The Philippine Star.

Accordingly, based on the report, the operations of Channel 43 and TV Plus should have followed also the cease and desist order from the NTC that was released on May 5 following the expiration of ABS’CBN’s legislative franchise.

“All broadcast operations of ABS-CBN are only authorized through its expired franchise…In other words, ABS-CBN’s airing of digital TV on Channel 43 is part of the cease and desist order because the franchise that they used for that is ABS-CBN’s franchise,” Cordoba said.

According to the Senior Deputy Majority Leader, Rep. Boying Remulla of the 7th District of Cavite, the operation of ABS-CBN these past eight weeks was “illegal and usufructuary”.

Remulla also stated that Cordoba could be subjected to legal complaints for allowing the TV network to operate even after the cease and desist order was issued.

Meanwhile, Rep. Rodante Marcoleta of Sagip Party-list also said that the NTC commissioner should resign for “not doing his job.”

Rep. Mike Defensor of Anakalusugan Party-list also said, “the law is the law and we have to obey that. Today, the continuing use of that frequency should stop.”

On the other hand, the ABS-CBN Corp. CEO Carlo Katigbak plead that they are willing to follow the rules however, asked for reconsideration while the franchise is pending for renewal.

Katigbak also stressed that in the past, the NTC has allowed companies that had an expired franchise to still operate while waiting for the deliberation if the franchise application is denied or granted.

ABS-CBN CEO Katigbak said, “The cease and desist order does not cover Channel 43. It’s not on the list… A block-time arrangement is a standard commercial agreement that is quite common in the broadcast industry. Many other broadcasters do this as well.”

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